THE BACHELOR – ABC’s “The Bachelor” stars Grant Ellis. (Disney/Matt Sayles)
Grant Ellis is the new Bachelor, and his journey to find love starts on Monday, Jan. 27 on ABC. As you tune in, you might be curious to learn more about The Bachelor’s new star, including where he’s from, his career, and what he hopes to find in his future wife.
Ellis was announced as The Bachelor during Jenn Tran’s “Men Tell All” special last summer. Speaking with host Jesse Palmer at the time, he shared how he was preparing for his season. “Developing my emotional intelligence, that’s something I’m definitely going to do,” he said, “and doing 100 pushups a day.”
While viewers watch his search for love unfold on screen over the coming months, Ellis already knows whether he found “the one,” as filming began in September. He’ll have to keep the outcome under wraps until the finale. As for the 25 women vying for his heart, Ellis spoke highly of them ahead of the premiere.
“This group of ladies are wonderful. They had so much charisma and energy and they passed it right on to me. So night one, just expect a lot of laughs, a lot of fun but there’s a tone of seriousness because I am looking for my wife,” he told On The Red Carpet.
Here’s everything you need to know about leading man Grant Ellis before his debut as The Bachelor, airing Monday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. on ABC.
He’s From Newark, New Jersey
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 27: Grant Ellis, “The Bachelor”, is seen outside the “Good Morning … [+]
GC Images
Ellis was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, but he now lives in Houston, Texas. The 31-year-old told the The New York Post this month that he misses his friends and the atmosphere of New Jersey. “It’s a big basketball state, so that’s what I miss,” he said. “But I don’t miss the cold weather, and I don’t miss the taxes.”
His Mom Secretly Signed Him Up For The Bachelorette
Jenn Tran and Grant Ellis on The Bachelorette.
John Fleenor, Disney
During an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, Ellis revealed that he was in a seven-year relationship, and afterward, he “was single for a while” to “focus on [him]self.” His mom, Renee—one of his biggest supporters—secretly submitted his application for The Bachelorette.
“And then my mom, she saw The Golden Bachelor, and she signed me up,” he told Ripa. “That’s when I was like, I’m going to do it,” he explained. “Might find my person, might not, but that’s how it happened.”
Viewers fell in love with Ellis’ charisma and genuine feelings for Jenn when he was a contestant on Season 21 of the Bachelorette. Unfortunately, he was sent home in Week 6, just before the hometown dates.
“I want to be happy. I want a wife. I want to be in love,” he said during his final on-camera interview. “I want to give everything to somebody, and I want them to give everything to me in return. I don’t know what else to say. I did not think that was going to happen tonight.”
He Was A Professional Basketball Player
Grant Ellis as The Bachelor.
Disney/John Fleenor
Ellis played football for Hudson Catholic High School, Iona University, Southern University, and Albertus Magnus College, according to People. The 6-foot-4 guard also played professionally overseas, primarily in the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, his four-year professional career was cut short by a career-ending injury.
He Currently Works As A Day Trader
THE BACHELOR – ABC’s “The Bachelorė stars Grant Ellis. (Disney/Matt Sayles)
Disney
After his professional basketball career ended, Ellis started working as a day trader. “S&P 500 … that’s the only instrument I trade. I studied and went all in,” he said on an August 2024 episode of The Viall Files.
“The first three years, I lost everything that I had in the market, but I stuck at it,” he continued. “It’s a process that tests who you are. It tests your resilience and your ability to weather the storm.”
His Sister Taylor Is A Model
Taylor Ellis
Since fans missed out on Ellis’ hometown date, some may not know that his only sibling is also in the entertainment industry. His sister, Taylor—who goes by her middle name, “Loreal” Ellis—is a model. She has been featured in Marie Claire and InStyle Mexico and is represented by Ford Models.
Taylor, who originally went to school for nursing, didn’t begin pursuing modeling until college. “All my life I’ve been told I should be a model up until college where it got so overwhelming that I knew I had to give it a try,” she told The Fashion Showdown. “So literally put school on hold to pursue modeling, and the rest is history.”
Ellis briefly made a comment about his sister on The Viall Files podcast. “For a long time, me and my sister weren’t super tight,” he said.
He’s Looking For A Wife Who’s Compassionate And Drama-Free
THE BACHELOR – ABC’s “The Bachelor” stars Grant Ellis. (Disney/Matt Sayles)
Disney/Matt Sayles
The new Bachelor revealed in an interview with People that any women engaging in drama likely didn’t come on the show with the same intent to find their person as he did.
“It’s really easy for somebody to tell you what they want, but I think that actions speak louder than words,” he told the site. “I think that there’s a certain maturity level that comes with wanting a family and wanting a long-lasting relationship, so I think that maturity was something that I looked for in these women. And if they’re starting drama, or if they’re gossiping, or if they’re doing certain things, that just indicates a lack of maturity.”
Another red flag for Ellis? Someone who is “too self-absorbed,” he said. Instead, he revealed that he prefers “when somebody’s compassionate and somebody has a heart for other people because that’s the way I am…”
He added that he’s excited to show who he truly is, as he didn’t get the opportunity to do so on The Bachelorette. “On Jenn’s season I didn’t really get to show who I was: my personality, my sense of humor and just the way I am on an everyday basis,” he said. “I think that that’ll come across in the season. Hopefully people get to know my story, and hopefully it inspires some people.”
The Bachelor Season 29 premieres at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with new episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.